The Beat With Joel Dunning Ep. 149: Female CT Surgeons—Unlocking the Male Fortress

This week on The Beat, CTSNet Editor-in-Chief Joel Dunning spoke with Dr. Shanda Blackmon, a thoracic surgeon and Professor of Surgery, as well as the Director of the Lung Institute at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA, about an article from The New York Times in which she was featured, titled “Female CT Surgeons, Unlocking the Male Fortress.” They discussed her experience working with The New York Times and the goal of the article. Key highlights included the pay disparity, with women cardiothoracic surgeons receiving lower pay than their male counterparts, as evidenced by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) compensation survey. Additionally, they addressed the rewarding aspects of cardiothoracic surgery, the challenges surgeons face, and the initiatives that women cardiothoracic surgeons are starting to tackle, such as the pay equity and leadership opportunities.  

Joel also highlights recent JANS articles on a cross-sectional study examining wire configurations, sternal locations, and breakage sites for fractured sternal wires post-coronary surgery, a Delphi consensus study on the standardized recommendations for the implementation of enhanced recovery protocols in thoracic surgery in Spain, surgical strategy for preserving native mitral valves in infants with ventricular septal defects and mitral regurgitation, and routine primary sternal closure after the Norwood procedure. 

In addition, Joel explores robotic-assisted left internal mammary harvest with the robotic harmonic scalpel, butterfly resection for prolapsed posterior mitral valve leaflets, and minimally invasive bidirectional Glenn via vertical right axillary thoracotomy. Before closing, Joel highlights upcoming events in CT surgery.   

JANS Items Mentioned 

1.) Fractured Sternal Wires Post-Coronary Surgery: A Cross-Sectional Study Examining Wire Configurations, Sternal Locations, and Breakage Sites 

2.) Standardized Recommendations for the Implementation of Enhanced Recovery Protocols in Thoracic Surgery in Spain: A Delphi Consensus Study 

3.) Surgical Strategy for Preserving Native Mitral Valves in Infants With Ventricular Septal Defects and Mitral Regurgitation 

4.) Routine Primary Sternal Closure After the Norwood Procedure 

CTSNet Content Mentioned 

1.) Robotic-Assisted Left Internal Mammary Harvest With the Robotic Harmonic Scalpel​  

2.) Butterfly Resection for Prolapsed Posterior Mitral Valve Leaflets  

3.) Pushing Boundaries in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: Minimally Invasive Bidirectional Glenn Via Vertical Right Axillary Thoracotomy  

Other Items Mentioned 

1.) Female Cardiothoracic Surgeons, Unlocking the Male Fortress 

2.) Instructional Video Competition    

3.) Career Center  

4.) CTSNet Events Calendar 

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